Center for Cell Reprogramming Seminar Series Featuring James Kirkland, MD, PhD
The Center for Cell Reprogramming Seminar Series brings outstanding scientists to Georgetown to present their latest research findings and meet with faculty members.
Speaker: James Kirkland, MD, PhD
Director of the Kogod Center on Aging at Mayo Clinic
Noaber Foundation Professor of Aging Research
Talk Title: “Aging, Cellular Senescence, and Senolytics: The Path to Translation”
Dr. Kirkland’s research is on the contribution of fundamental aging processes, particularly cellular senescence, to age-related and chronic diseases and development of agents and strategies for targeting fundamental aging mechanisms to treat age- and chronic disease-related conditions and morbidities. Additional research areas include molecular and physiological mechanisms of age-related adipose tissue and metabolic dysfunction, frailty, and loss of resilience to infections and acute diseases in old age.
Dr. Kirkland’s laboratory published the first article about agents that clear senescent cells – senolytic drugs. Dr. Kirkland demonstrated that senolytic agents enhance healthspan and delay, prevent, or alleviate multiple age-related disorders and diseases in mouse models. He published the first clinical trials of senolytic drugs and is currently conducting multiple clinical trials of senolytics, including three clinical trials for COVID-19. He has more than 225 publications and holds over 20 patents.